I’m sure many of you have already heard that Viz has released a new version of the Sailor Moon dub, far better and more accurate than the DiC version from the mid-’90s. Well, the DiC version was the one I grew up on – and while it’s what sparked my nearly two decade long love of Sailor Moon, it was incredibly cringe-worthy.
Exactly.
So, when I found out that Viz had redubbed the English version, and remastered all the original Japanese music, I had to give it a watch. I wasn’t entirely sure I’d like it, considering how very used I am to the old dub voices, but I had to watch. For science. (And, conveniently enough, it’s on Hulu!) And as I started watching, I caught myself posting my reactions to Twitter – and then realized it might just be better to collect them all here, to share with everyone! So, here’s my in-the-moment reactions to the first episode of the new Sailor Moon dub!
I will warn you – this is very much my instant reactions as characters talked or scenes happened, so bear with me here.
Episode One: The Crybaby: Usagi’s Beautiful Transformation
The expression on Luna’s face was the look on my face, I’m pretty sure, when it hit me just how long I’ve been a ridiculous Sailor Moon fan.
- First off, it hit me as I was watching the intro that in three years, I’ll have been a fan of this show for TWENTY YEARS. That’s over half my life at this point. I feel so OLD. (Plus, in two years? I’ll be 20 years older than the majority of the characters. ACK)
- OH GOD IT JUST HIT ME WE HAVE A LEGIT DUB NOW. I hope Luna doesn’t sound like an old lady.
- Oh, Naru just came on screen! I cannot get over the fact that Naru doesn’t have that weird accent anymore. She started talking and I had NO IDEA it was her until I looked at the screen. I do not miss Molly’s wacky accent.
- Usagi’s voice sounds so familiar, and I have no idea why. They definitely did a good job picking her voice, though…
- Oooh we’re in the Dark Kingdom now, Queen Beryl sounds vaguely like Princess Luna from My Little Pony this is so weird. And Jadeite pronounced his name “jay-dite” WHAT I AM NOT USED TO THIS
- Aaaand the jazzy bad-guy-music is playing now – the soundtrack’s been beautifully remastered, everything sounds so good!
- AAAAH MAMO-CHAN. You sound so weird now. Then again, fifteen-year-old me crushed very very hard on Darien way back in the day, so of course it’s gonna sound weird.
- Luna speaks! She sounds like an adult, but not like an old grandma. I think I like this.
- They… re-recorded the voice overs for the commercial breaks. It sounds awkward. I would’ve preferred if they left it the way it was…
- Shingo sounds like he’s older than Usagi, what the heck O_O
- Ohh, I love Luna’s voice. She sounds FAR cuter now. I really hope they dub the movies over with this new Luna voice, it’ll make the dub of Sailor Moon S: The Movie far more bearable to watch… All I can hear in my brain when I think “Sailor Moon S Movie dub” is old granny Luna saying “I love you, Kakeru”, ugh. *shudders*
- I have never heard the transformation theme sound this good oh god it’s giving me super goosebumps
- Seriously this is like being a teenager all over again BUT BETTER
- Sonic Cry! Oh man. The new Sonic Cry is much less cringe-worthy.
- And Tuxedo Mask is cheesy as heck, as always. Then again, it wouldn’t be Sailor Moon without Tuxedo Mask being cheesy!
- I don’t even think I’ve heard Heart Moving sound so crisp on the MP3s of the soundtrack I found way back in the days of Napster…
- … I do not miss Sailor Says one bit. Just sayin’.
Sailor Moon says WATCH THE NEW DUB IT’S WAY BETTER YOU GUYS.
I think once we get some more new characters (Ami, Rei, Makoto, and so on) I might do more Instant Reaction posts – I think it’d get old quick if I reacted to every episode, you know? I hope other old-school Sailor Moon fans like me give the new dub a chance – it is ridiculously good, even if it does take some getting used to!